Archive for the ‘Children’s Toys & Cognitive Tech’ Category

Give a standing ovation to Jordan Reeves! ‪She is an inspiring 10-year old inventor who designed her own prosthetic arm that shoots glitter. She calls her prototype in-development “Project Unicorn.” I think her arm is ten times cooler than my regular arm!! Jordan participated in Superhero Cyborgs 2.0, an event where children with upper limb differences work alongside designers and engineers to “create their own superpowers” by inventing dream prosthetic devices.

Meet the lovable bot who dances, plays music, shoots lasers, and makes programming fun! Codeybot teaches computational thinking and coding through play. I just pledged 2 Codeybots (with lasers) on Kickstarter. I am excited to build, break, and combine code in new and exciting ways with my children, students, and friends. You can use your smart phone or iPad to write commands for the smart Codeybot to follow in the real world.
“Don’t just play on your phone, program it” President Obama.

Tween and teen girls are brining the world closer together with code. For example, 5 female teens made Spectrum, an app that provides a safe support system for the LGBT community. Harshita & Xyla created a wifi-enabled teddy bear that lets users send long distance hugs to their friends and loved ones. Many of the things you love are made with code. Love is using code to positively impact your community!

This is a celebration of hands-on digital literacy for makers of all ages! Dig in and play with machines in our open creative space, learn about the city’s various learning pathways, and engage your brain’s experimental side. This event will be a collaborative and creativity-inspiring experience for makers of all ages who are interested in tinkering and learning new things. Everybody is welcome so bring your kids, your grandpa, and your friends to the VPL Inspiration Lab!

Like it or not, Barbie is a popular culture icon and a powerful role model for girls. As Nora Lin, President of the Society of Women Engineers reports: “All the girls who imagine their futures through Barbie will learn that engineers — like girls — are free to explore infinite possibilities, limited only by their imagination. As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can turn their ideas into realities that have a direct and positive impact on people’s everyday lives in this exciting and rewarding career.”